Crossing guards make trip to school safer
With the new school year upon us, I would like to remind parents that the school crossing guards are there for the safety of their children. If someone is bothering your child or tries to get them into their vehicle, they can go to any crossing guard and they will contact authorities.

This does not mean that the guards are there as baby-sitters. The guards have been instructed to report children that habitually get to them too early or too late.

A guard will not send a child to school knowing there will be no one there to watch them. This means that the guard must keep the child with them (school crossing guards are not permitted to allow a child in their vehicle no matter what the weather) until the appropriate time, thus making the guard a baby-sitter.

If need be, a meeting with the parents and the principal will be arranged to rectify this problem.

I know there are times when parents are so focused on getting their children to school that they fail to see the school crossing guard or the children they are trying to cross.

According to the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, statute No. 39:4-36 states that you are to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. Failure to yield carries a $44 fine and a two-point license penalty.

Statute No. 39:4-80.1 states that failure to comply with a school crossing guard's signal to stop will result in not less than a $150 fine for a first offense and not less than a $300 fine for any subsequent offense.

According to the American Automobile Association Traffic Safety and Engineering Department, many hazards could be avoided if parents would walk their children to school or to the bus stop instead of driving.

The AAA says, "Walking is good for children. It can increase their self-reliance and sense of responsibility. A well-organized morning that allows enough time for children to walk to school or to the bus stop begins the day on a positive note for everyone — children, parents and teachers. It also encourages safe behaviors."

Here's another point to ponder. In a time where childhood obesity is rampant, walking would be a great way for your children to get some exercise. Walking would also help children release excess energy before they get to school or home.

To all of the parents of children attending the Lucy Holman Elementary School, I ask you to think about the above information. I know that courtesy busing is provided for every child (even those who live less than a block away from the school), but the benefits of walking or bicycling would far exceed the convenience of putting your child on the bus.

For children attending the Holman school, crossing guards are posted as follows: one on South Cooks Bridge Road and Castle Avenue, one on Castle Avenue and Manhattan Street, one on South Cooks Bridge Road and Georgian Boulevard, one on Georgian Boulevard and Manhattan Street, and one on the Holman emergency access road (pedestrian, bicycle and emergency vehicle use only).

Sidewalks run along the road from the Flair development to the school and there is a sidewalk connecting Sixty Acres to the access road where the school crossing guard is posted.

For children attending the Sylvia Rosenauer Elementary School, crossing guards are posted as follows: one on South New Prospect Street and Citadel Drive, one on Citadel Drive and New Hampshire Street, and one on South New Prospect Street and Bryant Drive (Regency Apartments).

For children attending the Howard Johnson Elementary School, crossing guards are posted as follows: one on North New Prospect and the entrance to Camp Joy, one at the crosswalk coming from the development and up the path to the school, one on Larsen Road and Birch Drive and one on the path going up to the school from Larsen Road.

In closing, I would also like to ask all homeowners, whether they have children or not, to please keep their sidewalk/walkway clear of debris, bushes, low branches, snow and ice. It is also very important to keep trees, bushes, vehicles and piles of leaves/snow far enough back from the road and corners to allow a clear line of vision for vehicles and pedestrians. The township can fine you if you fail to follow these requests.

Let's all strive for a safe, enjoyable and knowledgeable school year.

Saundra Suiter

Supervisor school crossing guards

Jackson